


Rivers and Roads

by Tribblebot



Category: 10th Kingdom
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fluff and Angst, I will just keep adding tags and maybe change the rating as I go, Multi, Original Character(s), Post-Canon, The Next Adventure!, the wolves can shapeshift here because I say so, this is going to be a big one so I do not know what to tag just yet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-09-13
Packaged: 2018-05-12 21:08:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5680852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tribblebot/pseuds/Tribblebot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The gang finds it harder than they had expected to settle into their new life after their adventures, everyone in their own ways.<br/>Wolf and Virginia, now settling into a home of their own in New York, must figure out what their relationship is like without constant danger and distractions; while Wolf finds it to be a breath of fresh air, Virginia is less convinced.<br/>Wendell, now the king, is confronted for the first time with the truth of his reign- can he be more than just a figurehead? Can he be the leader that nobody believes he can be? And what can they possibly do about the creeping cold invading all of the Kingdoms, slowly freezing everyone and everything in it's path?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Softie

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic I have posted on here, and of course it is 10th Kingdom XD This is going to be a long one, so bear with me! I'll probably be posting fairly regularly- I am @panic-atthe-sisko and @butlittlelambsarelovely on tumblr, if you'd like! I'll be posting on there whenever I update. Thanks for reading! I promise it will get interesting soon~

Wolf adored his and Virginia's apartment, which was a fact that confused her to no end. He had fallen in love the moment that they had decided on it- for some reason the owners of her previous apartment had no longer wanted her to stay there- and had thrown himself into it. 

That had been a little over a month ago, and by now it was truly cold outside. They had heavy curtains at the windows to keep the chilly drafts out, though they didn't help so very much, and their room was cold. Wolf had collected as many blankets as he could, however, and they were all piled on their bed into a dense nest. He woke right about dawn and looked down at Virginia as she slept in. He was pressed up against her back, where he could inhale the scent of her so easily (without disturbing her, which had initially been a problem) and where he could keep his arms around her all night. 

He squeezed her a little tighter for a moment, and she shifted restlessly in her sleep, waking slightly at his motion, and he relaxed his grip. He held still in tense silence for a moment until she went back to sleep in their infinitely toasty nest. 

As nice as it was, to rest and hold and love on her, he knew that his own restlessness would begin to be a nuisance before too long, so he carefully shifted until he was out of the warm cocoon of the blankets. His bare feet touched the icy floor and he hissed a breath through his teeth, before willing himself up and out of the room. He had a sweater laid out on one of their rickety, mismatched chairs in the kitchen area, so he pulled that on, and set about the amazing and remarkable process of making coffee with the magical machine as he had been shown. 

Really, the machine did seem like magic to him. The first time he had been in the 10th Kingdom, it had all been just as strange and remarkable, but his mind had absolutely been on other, more pressing matters than figuring out how everything worked. His second time, though, he had come through the mirror to try and make a happily ever after with his one true love, and that had meant that he had had to acclimate himself to this amazing new world as fast as he could manage. 

He loved every bit of it, he had decided abruptly over dinner one night, to a sigh and a small smile from Virginia.

"Wolf, what is it you love about this place?" She had asked him, amused, with a gesture that quickly encompassed all of their small apartment, with all it's dingy windows, bad plaster, suspicious stains, and noisy neighbors.

"Well... I love that you are here, of course, and I love just how... how... magical it all is!" He had said with excitement.

Her look heavily implied that that was the most insane comment that she had heard from him yet, which was saying something. 

"You think New York City is... Magical. You may remember that I've been to your last home, Wolf. That place is magical. This is just... normal." She said, and took another bite of salad.

"Of course, my creampuff, that place had magic magic, so it's kind of a given. But remember, I grew up with all that, and trust me, it's more a pain in the tail than anything." He had replied with a knowing nod. "But here... Oh Virginia! Here, you made your own magic! Like, that thing we used, the thing with the-" he made a frantic gesture with his hands.

"The toaster."

"Yes, the toaster! How amazing is that!"

"You know, I am still surprised that all that was a surprise to you. You did have all that time trying to cook my grandmother to work all of it out." Virginia pointed out, looking down her nose at him. 

"Psh, she was perfectly safe. And besides, that... was not a terribly complex reci- joke, not a complex joke. Anyway, the toaster! And the cars, and the food that comes in boxes and packages and sleeves and, and..."

She reached across the table and patted his hand. The wolf's body relaxed just from that gentle movement. 

"I'm glad you're happy here." She had said simply, and he had replied with just an adoring smile.

Now, nearly a month later, he padded silently through the kitchen and made coffee for himself and his sleeping mate. He measured everything with exact precision, intent that everything should be absolutely perfect. When it was busy doing it's thing, he stepped away and performed his usual routine of pacing around the apartment, making sure that everything was where it should be and where it had been left. 

If Virginia knew about this habit, she would have called him paranoid, but he was intent on following it through every morning. Where he had come from, where he had grown up, you had to be vigilant and wary, if you wanted to keep what was yours. He puffed a soft breath through his lips and looked out the window. 

How strange his life was now! Virginia complained about the slight chill of the apartment, but really, compared to a night spent in the woods, it was nothing, it was wonderful. Compared to a night spent in the prison, this was beyond words. He looked down at his bare feet, at the way his toes were curled to keep warm and he chuckled. 

"Now, Wolf, are you getting soft?" He asked himself, smiling. He knew the answer to that already, of course- yes, living somewhere safe and wonderful was going to make him lose that edge that had kept him alive for so long... but he was okay with that. He had his happily ever after.


	2. People and Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone adjusts differently, now that the big adventure is over, and change is sometimes hard, even if it's good. More setup for the main plot.

Wendell was hopeless. 

He had spent his life being groomed for his future as the king of the Fourth Kingdom, and that had always seemed like it was a good enough thing to do. He had his advisers to handle the hard parts, and he had realized early on that they had no real expectations for him anyway. They all thought that he was too stupid and too spoiled and childish to actually handle the crown, and so he did not even get much chance to lead.

That was okay, though. He had heard some of the servants scoffing, saying that he was only actually crowned because of what he had done and the part that he had had in taking down the Queen, and that the answers to that dog had been more satisfactory than the answers that he had given. Which was probably true.

He left the palace, idly telling one of the servants to get his horse ready for a quick ride on the grounds, and sweeping out with his retinue of guards in pursuit. The palace had always been his home; he had been born there, his parents had died there. He had always just assumed that his little heirs would be born there, and that he would die there as well. 

His mother had been a cold woman, as cold and uncaring as the walls of the palace itself, and he had never really known, nor missed her. His father had been so in love with his mother, that he had simply lost himself when she had died- once she had been gone, his father had been nothing but a shadow of the man that Wendell remembered. All he had ever had was his future, and the hopes of his kingdom to keep him warm; he wondered what he had to do, now that he was starting to feel the chill.

~

Virginia's alarm went off and she groaned, pulling the blankets closer. She sometimes wished that Wolf would just stay put in the mornings, rather than going about his wandering. It would have kept her warm at least. She remembered those first few mornings when his cuddling and sniffing and random kisses just as the sun was barely up kept her from resting at all, and she rethought that. 

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the chilly air. She smelled coffee, and heard her wolf puttering around in the kitchen. She didn't smell anything burning, which was a relief, and she slow sat and stretched the kinks from her back. 

She brushed her teeth, and washed her face, before heading to the kitchen to meet her fiance. 

"Good morning!" Wolf greeted her excitedly, as he always did. It brought a smile to her face- he was always happy to see her, it seemed, and the man always brightened the moment she walked into the room. The thought made her feel warm inside, though she was still... hesitant. She was happy that she had agreed to marry Wolf, though there were quiet nervous butterflies whenever she thought of their life together.

She kissed his cheek. "Good morning, honey." She said, and took the plate of toast and bacon that he had fixed for her. He sat across the little table from her, his dark eyes eager as she started eating, and he did as well. She sipped her coffee quietly. There was silence.

"So... I am going to work here in a bit." She said after she had eaten. 

"Yeah." Wolf nodded. She noted the way that his whole body seemed to shift to face her when she spoke, attentive as ever to her moods as he tried to make her happy. "I am too!" 

He had gotten a job at the local library. They had managed to get him fakes of the necessary documents, and he had sweet-talked his way into the position. He enjoyed it, and so did Virginia- initially, she had planned to find him work at the restaurant where she was, though she had quickly dismissed that, knowing just how Wolf was around food. This job kept him busy, and they always had jobs for him to do, and he didn't need to know much about technology. He loved books, and was using what quiet moments there were to catch up on her world, just by browsing.

They went their separate ways to get ready, Virginia to the shower, Wolf to clean the kitchen, and then to the shower once she was out. By the time he was out, she was dressed and on her way out of the apartment. 

He hugged her, and kissed her cheek, which she returned. 

"Be safe today, okay, lambchop?" He murmured, his thumb brushing the side of her jaw. She put her own hand over his, and nodded. 

"Of course I will." She said with a huff of a laugh, and pulled away towards the door. "Don't you miss me too much." She added over her shoulder, and was gone. 

~

Something was very wrong, Wolf could feel it. He stood watching the door for a moment after she left, trying to figure out what it was. It was the silence over their breakfast, and the way they passed each other as they got ready for work. It was like they weren't seeing each other, not really. 

Everything had been so exciting when they had met- they had had a quest to go on, she had had a magical new land to explore. It had been scary for her, he knew, but he knew that their entire relationship had been built in the most stressful, amazing, fantastic time of her life. Nervousness suddenly twisted in his stomach. It had taken so much for her to see him, for her to know him enough to realize that he was worth her time, and for him to even become the man that was worth it. Would it all go away, now that they were happy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we set some tension up! This fic is going to have a lot of development for Wendell, which I am excited about. Poor guy spent most of the series as a lump of gold, he could use some action.


	3. It's Not Trolls, Wendy

It was a regular habit of Wendell's to go out riding. He felt in control of something, which was not something that he felt very often. He never went far, and was never out for more than a few hours, but those few hours were all he needed to get his head on straight again, and to get his cool, unaffected exterior back up when the members of his council were getting to be too annoying. 

Just that morning, he had been in the council chamber where a meeting had been called to discuss the startlingly low crop output of the northern counties. He had been in his high gilded seat at the head of the table, but he had felt decidedly... excluded from the proceedings.

"There has to be a reason for it!" one man had shouted, his grey, wiry mustache trembling with passion. "You can't tell me that the plants up there all decided at once to simply not grow!"

"Don't be preposterous, Sir Eddington!" had blustered the fat lord in control of the treasury. This had turned into one of the bouts of verbal fisticuffs that the two men were well known for, and which Wendell found quite boring. 

Once it started, everyone else just went on talking around them, knowing full well that they would work it out in time. Wendell glanced at the map and had cleared his throat. Nobody looked up or acknowledged him. 

"Ahem." he repeated, looking pointedly out at the people that were supposed to be advising him. 

"What is it, your majesty?" Came Sir Eddington's touchy reply. Wendell's lips had pursed. 

"I just thought that I would ask if we have any word as to the state of crops in the Second." He asked, lifting his chin slightly, as if that would get his point across better. 

"Of course we have. They are having similar problems, according to a few people we have located up there, but they haven't given us any word as to what they are doing about it. It seems that it is just the cold."

"The cold?" Wendell asked, incredulous. "The last I checked, it was summer! Late summer, I'll grant you, but summer none the less!"

"Yes, thank you, Wendell." Eddingon had replied shortly. Had that been an eyeroll from further down the table? Wendell couldn't be sure, and that didn't improve his mood one bit. 

And so, the king was riding away from his problems, like he was some pouting prince who had been told that he had to dance with a certain princess he disliked at the upcoming ball. He knew full well that he would return, and soon- he was the king, as unlikely as everyone seemed to find that, and he had fought very hard for his crown.... well. 

His friends had fought hard for his crown. He had spent the whole damned adventure alternating from doggy damsel in distress to chunk of rock and back again. Maybe things would have been different, had he been able to actually participate in saving the kingdoms, but really all he had done was follow along.

He was lost in thought as he rode, and didn't even notice the way that the air had grown suddenly chilly. He had unconsciously pulled his cloak tighter around himself, still thinking of ways that he could, somehow, take his council in hand, when suddenly his horse had bucked beneath him. 

He shouted in surprise as he was thrown from the saddle, but quickly got to his feet and out of the way as the horses of his three guards started to panic just the same. 

He looked around for what could be causing it, and finally noticed the uncanny chill that was seeping through the thin summer fabric of his clothing. 

"Are you all right, your majesty?" one of the guards asked, finally getting his own skittish horse under control. It seemed that Wendell's own had bolted, so one of the guards went after it. 

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Wendell snapped, brushing his formerly white trousers off. "What happened? Trolls?" He asked, trying to neaten up his blond hair. 

"It could be trolls. Brown?" the leader turned to the remaining guard for confirmation. Since Wendell had decreed that all the wolves pardoned, things had still been tense between them and humans, so Wendell had had the idea to hire a few wolves to his personal guard. There had been a few issues getting the humans on the garrison used to the idea, but after some time they were actually proving to do very well- their superior senses were excellent when they needed to know if trolls were nearby. 

Brown shook his head. "Nope, not trolls. Something, though." He said decisively after sniffing the air. "Once Mulligan gets back, let's go." 

"Agreed." Wendell said, glancing towards the dark woods a short ways away distrustfully.

~

By that evening, Wolf had his plan all set up. The library had been very slow that day, and he had spent most of his time organizing and reorganizing, which left plenty of time to plot.

He had to fix things with Virginia, and according to a book he had read (Ten Steps to Achieving Your Dreams), the first step was to visualize your ultimate goal and the path leading to it. Well, if his end goal was to make things like they had been with Virginia during that first few weeks, then his first step had to be a step backwards. 

He was waiting for her when she got back, having tidied the apartment nervously in the hour he was home before she was. She smiled and kissed his cheek, before flopping on the couch with a tired groan. 

Wolf appeared at her side, crouched by her shoulder with curious brown eyes fixed on her. "Long day?" He asked. Now that he had his lie planned, just how did he bring it up? Over dinner should work, he decided, and nuzzled against her cheek. She smiled absently and stroked his hair. 

"Yeah." She yawned. "Good day, though. Busy. You?" 

"Psh. No, never busy." He snorted. "I made dinner, do you want to eat? You should eat." He said decisively. 

"Alright, Wolf, but I am not getting off the sofa." She groaned, and he nodded, and scampered away. He returned in a moment with two bowls.

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Virginia put her hand on Wolf's knee with a raised eyebrow. 

"You're vibrating. What's up?" She asked. She knew him so well already, how wonderful! 

"I... had a thought, is all..." he started. Virginia's blue eyes narrowed at the hesitation in his words. "I think we should go back to the Kingdoms." He finished, looking up at her through his lashes hopefully. 

She was silent for a minute. "Why?" She asked, looking somewhat suspicious- she trusted her fiance with her life, but she sensed something was up. 

"I was thinking, and with this baby coming, we won't be able to travel much in the future." He said- this was true, at least. "So I thought that... maybe... we could go up north and find the old farm." 

"The old... farm? Where your parents lived?"

"The very same, my dearest darling!" He replied brightly, before he sobered and put a hand over hers. "I just thought that... well, if we're going to be spending the rest of our lives here, we could... sort of say goodbye?" He asked. 

She sighed and looked out the window. They had just gotten settled... but really, Wolf was right, when he said that they wouldn't be able to go on adventures too much longer. 

"Alright, then." She said, smiling.


	4. Bear with me here...

Wendell was not happy. What had started as a clear morning was now a rainy mess, his boots were ruined, and he was absolutely not dressed to keep himself warm in such miserable weather. He didn't complain though- it was not the fault of his guards, and it would only make them hate him more than he suspected they did. 

In truth, his guards did not hate him- they were a little underwhelmed by the young king, and they thought him somewhat immature, but they didn't hate him. 

They waited for Mulligan to return for over an hour, before Wendell decided that he was fed up with waiting and insisted that they go after him. Brown lead the way, quiet and seeming perfectly comfortable navigating. He froze after about a half hour of walking though and raised a hand to tell the others to stop. The horses started to shift uncomfortably and made soft noises. 

"Perhaps we should go back..." Wendell whispered. "What if he comes back and finds us gon-"

"Shh..." Brown snapped, clapping a hand over Wendell's mouth. The king's eyes went wide in outrage, and if he hadn't sensed the tension in the air, he would have verbally ripped him a new one for such insubordination.

"Let's go." Brown said in a voice just barely above a breath, and they turned to leave. They had not gone three steps before an unearthly bellow came from a few yards off to their side. It was a noise unlike anything any of them had heard before, it sounded like shrieking winds with the low rumbling roar of an avalanche at full force. The horses lost their minds, and started bucking and fighting until they couldn't be held anymore and they took off.

"Run!" Brown shouted and grabbed Wendell's arm to drag him along at a slightly adjusted course. The captain of the guard hung back and Wendell heard him draw his sword. They kept running. 

There was something chasing them now- the king could hear it crashing through the underbrush, huffing and growling. The captain bellowed in rage, and Wendell finally chanced a glance behind to see the outcome...

Just in time to see a huge white bear bite the man's head clean off. He yelped in fear as the head was tossed carelessly aside, and the body was stepped over and on carelessly as the bear continued on. It was huge- it was on four legs, but it was still a foot taller than Wendell himself. It's lips were black, and it's eyes seemed endlessly black, and it's white pelt seemed to be covered in a coating of frost. Everywhere it stepped, ice appeared, killing the plants and causing them to shatter. 

"DON'T LOOK, JUST RUN!" Brown yelled, shaking Wendell out of his frightened daze. He noticed that the wolf had drawn his own short sword, and was struck by just how helpless he was- he couldn't protect himself, running was all that he could do. 

The bear barrelled after them, smashing through trees and leaping. It was gaining, absolutely. They were almost to the open field, when Wendell felt something sharply tug his foot, and he was on the ground. His foot was trapped in a root, and his fall had taken Brown down with him. He tugged at his foot helplessly as Brown leaped to his feet and scrambled to get between his fallen king and the approaching bear. 

He was shoved aside as if he weighed nothing and the creature leaped, and pinned Wendell down into the earth. Wendell grunted in pain as he heard his ankle make a somewhat terrible noise at the angle it was forced into, and he felt the frost creeping into his body as it radiated from the creature's paws. 

"I've come to talk to you, your majesty." It growled


	5. Don't Shred the Messenger

Wendell shook as he stared at the huge beast. It was no longer actively attacking him, but he could not shake the image of his men being torn apart, and the scent of blood was still in his nose. He was fairly certain that it was going to be there for a good long while.

"F-Fine then, talk." The young king's voice shook and faltered, but his gaze didn't waver. He blamed the throbbing in his ankle for his display of weakness, not allowing himself to even think of the fact that it might be his own fear.

"I have a message from my queen." It said in a strangely calm voice. 

"A Message?!" he exclaimed, suddenly too overcome to be scared, if only for a moment. "You killed my men, nearly killed me, over a message?!" 

"My Queen gave me permission to do whatever I needed to get my message across."

"And your queen... I will assume that that would be the queen of the Eighth?" Wendell inquired. There was most definitely mud soaking through his trousers in a very unpleasant way.

"Yes."

"I don't think that I have had the pleasure of meeting her." Off through the bushes, the king caught the sound of rustling through one of the bushes. His heart sank- there must be another one of these monsters, just prowling. 

"No, my Lady does not have time for such trivial matters. I am merely here to tell you to start your people moving south."

That rustling was definitely too small to be a bear, Wendell decided. He saw brown fur through the trees, not white, and realized what was going on. He looked the bear right in the eyes and lifted his chin defiantly. 

"You mean to say that she is invading." he stated. 

"Yes."

"And I suppose the early freeze in the north is her doing?" There was no rustling anymore, but the patch of mottled brown fur was gone. 

"A warning." The bear growled. "Or a taste of what is to come."

"You mean to freeze us all? You can't believe that we will let that stand!" He exclaimed. 

"Your army can stand against any army of trolls or elves, but they can't fight the cold. Your swords and shields are useless to protect you. Your only option-" The bear's rumbling voice was cut off as Brown exploded through the underbrush, having shifted into his wolf form.

The bear roared in pain as Brown landed on his back and sunk his teeth into the white fur of his neck. Wendell scrabbled backwards behind the tree, trying to get out of the way of the bear's swinging claws. From his hidden space, he could not see what was happening, but he heard Brown's growls and yelps and the bear's roars and bellows of pain. He was breathing hard, his eyes wide as he clutched the knife he had pulled from his boot to his chest. 

Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, there was silence. Wendell's breathing sounded incredibly loud and obvious in his own ears, and he smelled blood. Just barely audible over his own heartbeat, he heard the sound of pained breathing and a heavy body getting to it's feet. 

Fear settled in the king's stomach at the approaching footsteps. It had to be the bear- Brown was strong, but that bear was enormous... and those claws...

Wendell struggled to his feet, and tried to silence his pained cry at the sudden twist in his ankle. He grabbed onto the side of a tree nearby, and used it to propel himself forwards through the underbrush. 

He was frantic, and not nearly as silent as silent as his blood-soaked pursuer. He didn't even feel the pain in his ankle anymore, he was focused only on getting away from the grisly scene, back to his nice, safe palace, and his advisers, so someone could tell him what to do about this.

Finally his stumbling, rambling pace got him caught on a bramble and he fell with a yelp. He thrashed and fought to get free, and was sure that he nearly had it when he heard a noise. He fought harder, and managed to get himself just more thoroughly caught.

"Get away!" he yelled, and aimed a clumsy hit towards the source of the noise. 

"Shit... Your majesty, you need to calm the fuck down." Came Brown's voice from behind him. 

"Oh... Oh! You're alive! Did you kill it?" He asked, relaxing just enough to let the soldier untangle him. 

"Clearly." Brown replied, using his knife to free Wendell. The king stood, and turned to look at the wolf. He was bleeding from a bite to his shoulder, and had clearly hit his head during the scuffle, and his clothing was a mess, but he seemed otherwise fine.

"You... you saved me." Wendell choked out. 

"Yep." he replied. "Come on, let's get you back to the palace."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made the executive decision to have the wolfies shapeshift in this, because it never specifically /said/ that they /couldn't/....  
> Also, promise, Wolfie and Virginia are gonna show up again here soon. Wendell just needs his ass kicked.


	6. Talking

It was a long, wet, miserable walk back to the palace. The horses had bolted, and so there was nothing to do but walk, or so said Brown. Wendell had grumbled that he was the king, they were perfectly in their rights to acquisition a horse from some farm nearby, but the wolf had pointed out that it would have taken just as long to find a farm and get a hold of someone as it would be to get back, and in finding a farm they would likely just get themselves lost.

So they walked. Wendell's mind was reeling from what had just happened, and Brown did not seem like someone that was terribly into chatter, so Wendell just thought hard about what the next move was. 

"What's the plan, majesty?" Brown finally piped up after an hour. 

"The plan?" 

"With the Eighth, I mean. I heard what that bear said, we need to do something." He insisted.

"Oh... well, I suppose I must speak with my advisers before I make any plans." He replied weakly.

Brown looked at Wendell hard; his eyes were black, and completely unreadable. "What do you want to do, then. I mean, without them, what would you do?"

Wendell was struck dumb by that. Of course he had ideas of his own- but they were always shot down in council, and for good reason, he thought. He didn't have any military experience, he had no idea what to do.

"If anything, we should evacuate the north and bring the people further down immediately. We must start building well-insulated guard posts along the border before it gets too cold... but I doubt that we have the money for that. We would have to raise taxes monumentally..."

"And if you raise the taxes while people are being moved, I don't think that anyone will be happy about that." Brown completed. "That's a puzzle, then. Couldn't you ask one of the other kingdoms?" 

"I... suppose, but then they would require something later, and that is always such a hassle..." The king sighed and pulled his jacket off, and tied the sleeves around his waist. He was cold, but his clothes were so cold that it didn't really make any difference. 

He turned to look at the guard and was suddenly aware of the way that he must look a mess. He could feel his hair soaked and matted to his head and he knew he must look terribly pale and pathetic. Somehow, Brown still looked nice- his skin was a dark golden-brown and his dark hair was yes, soaked, but most of it was in a ponytail anyway which made it seem less terrible. There was a lock of it plastered in a fascinating shape at his forehead and Wendell had the sudden urge to do something about it.

Brown looked sideways at Wendell, noticing that he was being stared at, and he raised an eyebrow at him. Wendell looked away quickly, taking a quick breath in irritation and surprise and embarrassment. 

"Cinderella's your grandmother though, right?" Brown cut in.

"What? Oh, yes, she is, but we are hardly close. We met exactly once, and she spoke to my doggy counterpart more than she did me." He sounded bitter, he realized.

Brown seemed to have caught that in his voice, if his expression was anything to go by. "Hmm. Well, family is very important, I always thought. You should try." 

Wendell opened his mouth- either to argue or to inquire further he couldn't have said- but was cut off by a shout from out somewhere ahead of them. The guard drew his sword and pushed Wendell behind himself in a swift movement, and growled a challenge. 

"We've found them!" came a familiar voice of one of the guards, and the wolf relaxed as a ring of torches and familiar faces appeared. 

Wendell slumped in relief and took an offered blanket gratefully.

"Your Highness! What happened!" It was the captain of the palace guard himself, an old man who Wendell had long suspected was made entirely out of muscle. "Where are the others?"

"They're dead." He said, sounding unbearably tired, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "A huge... bear, a talking bear from the north. It had a message for me, apparently... Just get me back, I'm in no mood right now."

There was some action and some shouting and horses were brought from somewhere. He saw his own bring brought forwards and he turned to find Brown. The man was off under the harsh eye of the captain, so Wendell went to them and put a hand on Brown's shoulder. He was momentarily distracted by just how warm his skin was, before he spoke. 

"Captain, can you please make sure that Guardsman Brown here is taken care of? I would be dead of hypothermia, lost, or just gone by now if it had not been for him. He killed the monster himself and kept me safe. I want him moved to my personal retinue, if you would." He said, trying to sound forceful despite the face that he looked like a drowned rat. 

The wolf looked at Wendell with a strange expression, but looked pleased- the King's Personal Retinue was a good job, meant for only the best in the guardsman, and it paid significantly better than most.

The captain seemed to want to argue, but this was the king. He just nodded once and slipped off.

Wendell turned to the guard and offered his hand. "You have my thanks, Guardsman Brown-"

"Please, call me Jack." he cut in, smiling slightly. "And you're welcome. Go get on your horse, Majesty. I'll see you around."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Chapter! Sorry this one took a while, April got busy, but I spent it planning ahead for this, so chapters should be coming a little faster from now on!   
> Thanks for reading!


	7. Wendell Gets Uppity

Wendell had never been so happy to see the polished white marble of his palace before in his entire life. 

The ride back had been wet, and the king was chafed beyond what he had thought previously possible. A few members of his cabinet had braved the elements to join the search, and they chattered and railed against the impropriety of the Ice Queen's actions the entire way. Wendell kept mostly quiet, letting them talk and rant and make their bold declarations- he just wanted to be home and to get himself into clean clothes.

Upon his arrival, he was met with an unexpected, but welcome sight. He was always glad to see his step-sister, Virginia, though the fact that her fiance was always on her heels was less than welcome- Wolf had a particular ability to annoy, which Virginia seemed to still find endearing. 

Her blue eyes widened when Wendell walked in through the main entry, and Wolf let out a low whistle. 

"Wendell, you look..."

"Like you've been dragged backwards through a goblin's living room." Wolf completed, seeming fascinated and delighted.

"Yes, thank you." He clasped Virginia's hand tightly. "Virginia, I do apologize, but I'm afraid that Tony isn't here at the moment. He is still off trying to get the dwarves to create some kind of... plastic."

"Oh, that's fine, we aren't actually here for a visit, just stopping by on an errand of our own," She replied. "Wolf wants to visit the Second before the baby comes."

Wendell must have made a face, because Virginia's eyebrows pulled together and she looked concerned. "What?" She asked.

"Well, I just got word from a rather interesting messenger that the north is not a terribly safe place to be right now. The Ice Queen is acting up and..." He sneezed. Brown-Jack, Wendell recalled- stepped forward from the throng of people getting dried off and bowed slightly to Wendell. 

"Your highness, one of your ministers just had a servant run a bath up in your chambers. Perhaps the rehash can wait until that is through?" he suggested, tilting his head slightly. 

"Ah..." he was bold, Wendell thought, glancing towards the soldier and then back to Virginia. "I suppose you are right. I'll be back Virginia, Wolf. Make yourselves at home and we will discuss the rest later." he bowed politely to them and left to his rooms. jack went off his own way to the barracks to get cleaned up and deal with his being reassigned. 

Virginia looked after her step-brother curiously and then at Wolf. "That was weird. Ice Queen?" She asked, looking concerned. 

Wolf scratched at his temple. "I hear she's a very creepy lady, actually. Queen of the Eighth Kingdom, to the north of here." He explained. "They say she's a powerful witch, and that the people of her kingdom are enslaved by some kind of magic, but there has never been any evidence or anything of the kind."

"So you're saying that our 'little adventure' might just turn out to be something more than that?" 

"If what Wendell says is true, and if she is getting uppity... maybe." 

***

"You want to do what?" The finance minister on Wendell's staff looked at the kind like he had grown a second head. In fact, just about everyone at the table was looking at him with the same expression of disbelief and concern for his sanity; the only people who were not, were Wolf and Virginia. The former seemed to think it was an amazing idea, while Virginia was just nodding slowly.

"I want to go north and try and talk to the queen myself." He said again, as if the older man had simply not heard him. "It is the only course that will not cost anything, and we won't have to call in any favors with the other Kingdoms. We will not exhaust our military and become weak to attack- you know the trolls are still angry after everything that happened, and it is highly likely that they are just looking for an opportunity to come at us again."

"Wendell, the Queen is insane," The war minister said, slowly, as if Wendell just didn't understand what she was saying. "We can't trust her; what if she kills you? I mean she already sent an ice bear after you."

"To deliver a message, I wasn't in any danger..." probably. "And if I'm killed, just elect someone else to take over. It's not like any of you actually think that I can rule the kingdom anyway." He added, looking around the table coolly. 

The group wondered where, exactly, this Wendell had come from. Really, they were used to a young king that didn't seem to care about what was going on in the meeting room, or who seemed unnecessarily angry at the men and women at the table. But Wendell seemed... intent. Intent on making a somewhat foolish decision, at that. 

"Your Majesty, you can't think that." The finance minister said in a wheedling voice. He did so like to wheedle, Wendell knew, and it always got on his nerves. 

"Well, I do. I'm the king, and really, I can do what I want."

"Not if we all vote to oppose you, majesty." Came the gruff voice of the war minister, who looked at him levelly with her warm brown eyes. Wendell had always liked her, but right now he was starting to get annoyed. "You can't just go nuts and freeze your ass off in the snow."

"And what would you rather I do, hmm? Sit on the throne and just nod nicely to whatever it is you want?" He was angry now- he couldn't remember the last time he had been properly angry like this, with the blood rushing in his ears and his heart going fast. He liked the feeling, he decided. "Get married, make some little heirs for you to manage when their time comes? Well I don't want that! I am going north, and if you want me to be safe, you can get some guards to come with me. I am going to pack." He turned and swept out of the room, turning his back on all of their incredulous faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look who finally made an appearance! I told you they were coming back. Headcanon is that Tony has met an adorable dwarf lady out in the Ninth and she is helping him make plastic for his bouncy castle empire, all the while he is making lovey eyes at her and she's like 'dude get off the corrosive substances'. Hi-jinks ensue.  
> If you are liking this, hit the kudos button/comment why don'tcha. I promise, if you do I will be over here talking with a singing ring high pitched screechy voice for at least a half hour.


	8. Decisions

This was going much better than Wolf had hoped that it would. He had planned to just hunt down adventures indefinitely once they were on the road to the Second, but one had just appeared for him as if by magic. Now he just had to convince Virginia.

"He is your step-brother." He mused from his place sprawled on his back on their bed in the guest room of the palace. 

"I know that, Wolf." She replied, her arms crossed as she looked at him levelly. "But you may remember the fact that I am pregnant. Going off on some harebrained adventure to negotiate with an ice queen can't be healthy for the baby. You heard what Wendell said about there being magical polar bears." 

"Well yes, but remember that I'll be with you the entire time!" He said cheerily, hopping up and going to hug her. She just looked at him. "And we can't possibly make it to the Second with things how they are- what if we get there and there's a war by the time we get back? What are we supposed to do then?" 

"It's going to be dangerous." She said again, trying to convince herself as much as him to be practical about all of this. God knew that she had to be the practical one in this relationship.

"When has that ever stopped you from doing anything, my dearest darling?" He replied playfully, sensing that he was close to winning her over. 

She sighed. "And who else is going to accompany Wendell? He seems... different. Stressed out, or something." 

"My point exactly, lambchop. He needs you to be practical, and he needs me to be the muscle." 

"Fine. We'll talk to him in the morning- he can't mean to head out tonight." 

~

Wendell was wondering just what had gotten into him. He hadn't been an easy person as a teenager, he knew that, but even then he had never caused such a scene as he just had. 

He was furiously digging through his wardrobe to find something suitable for adventuring, but had only managed to find one coat that wasn't too ostentatious and an old pair of boots. Both objects had been thrown onto the bed, where the king himself was now flat on his back with the heels of his hands pressed to his eyes. 

What have you gotten yourself into, Wendell, he thought tiredly. Storming out in the middle of a meeting? That's unlike you. And now you have to hold yourself to your claims, or else it's just going to be written off as a temper tantrum.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and he halfway sat up. Probably someone some to nag at me. He thought glumly as he told them to come in.

"I don't want to hear any arguing, thank you." He snapped, before seeing who it was.

"Well, good, I wouldn't dream of arguing with my king." Jack replied, smiling cheerily. He was dressed out of his guard's uniform, which Wendell found fascinating- in dark trousers, a green shirt, and a dark jacket, he looked lovely. He tossed a bag onto the bed, which broke Wendell's stare.

"I thought you were one of my advisers," he said sullenly. "Come to tell me that I'm behaving childishly."

"Oh, they certainly think that; you know your guard is outside, tasked to keep you in here?" Jack said, raising an eyebrow.

Wendell groaned. "No, I didn't know that."

"They are claiming that you're beside yourself over the attack, and that you've been stressed ever since the coronation. Apparently it is for your own good."

The king looked towards the door, and then back at Jack. "And what do you think?" He asked. Jack was bold, and said things to him that no other guard has ever had the nerve to say out loud to him. 

"I'm here, aren't I? Perhaps you should open that bag, your highness." He said with a smirk.

Wendell opened it, and found a plain blue shirt, worn and roughspun, and a few other items of clothing.

"These are yours?" He asked, pulling them out.

"They're yours now, your majesty. For our journey."

"Our journey? I thought that you were supposed to be keeping me in here?" Wendell asked with a raised eyebrow. He felt relief wash through him at the guard's words- he had assumed that Virginia and Wolf would come with him but... he felt safe with Jack.

"Well, you see, my actual job description, now that you have promoted me so kindly this morning, is to guard the king." His grin was cheerful. "I happen to know that the king plans to leave this place, and really, if I go with him, he will be perfectly safe."

Wendell finally smiled, though it was tired and worried. "And how to you plan to get me out of here?"

"I have a plan, don't you worry, your highness." He responded confidently, lifting his chin and taking a step back towards the door. "I'll be back in about an hour."

"Could you ask Virginia and Wolf if they plan to come, too?" He asked him, turning to watch him go.

"Yes, sir." Jack said with a slight bow and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Jack..." Wendell said impulsively. 

"Yes, sir?"

"Call me Wendell."


	9. Dark

Wendell and Jack met Virginia and Wolf out behind the palace a few hours later. Virginia and Wolf had just had to walk right out and wait, but the plan that Jack had for Wendell had been a fair bit more complex than that. 

To get past the guards, Jack had spent some time setting up a lie; he came and left to Wendell's rooms several times over the course of a half hour, citing complaints with the king's bath. Apparently the water would not get decently hot, no matter what it was that they tried. Eventually, they had been able to move- with the retinue of guards- to a room down the hall. Wendell had been incredibly confused by this, as they were still trapped by the guards out in the hallway, but Jack had simply beamed at him and had revealed a panel in the wall that lead to a staircase. 

"How...?" Wendell had sputtered as they started to descend in complete blackness. 

"My mother used to work here in the palace," he explained. "I would play here as a child, and some of the other servant's children had told me about a secret passage that had been built here. Now according to the story, this was the room that was given to ambassadors, and in order to make negotiations go smoother, ladies were often sent up here to... ah... persuade them to our cause. Now, you can't just be walking ladies of the night up and down through the front gate, so this was built." He explained cheerily.

"This seems like a major breach in security." Wendell sounded skeptical. 

"Oh, it is." he replied brightly. "But it only opens from the inside, and nobody really knows about it. There's only one key, and it happens to belong to the Kingsguard, and is kept in their barracks." he sounded smug.

The stairs were slimy and dusty, and Wendell was struggling to keep from slipping. 

"How much further?" He asked quietly. 

"Not far, Wendell." Jack replied. 

A moment later, the king heard a noise that was absolutely a rat, and jerked slightly as he descended a step. He yelped as he felt himself start to fall, but he felt strong arms close around himself in the darkness and keep him upright.

"You okay?" Jack asked, no longer walking and not really making a move to let go of the king. 

It took a moment for Wendell to find his words, but when he did he just squeaked an affirmative. Jack pulled away, but took the king's hand to lead the way. 

"Not too far." He said again as they started to descend.

There was silence after that, except for the sound of their feet, and their breathing. Wendell wondered if Jack, as a wolf, could see better in this light than he could, but decided against asking. He was grateful for the warm hand in his own, and wondered absently if the other man intended to hold it the whole way out to Virginia. That wasn't a terrible idea.

Sadly, Jack dropped Wendell's hand when they got to the door at the bottom of the staircase, so he could use the key to let them both out into the yard. It was just an hour until dawn, so it was fairly dark out there, though it was still easier to see than it was on the staircase. After that, it was just a short walk out to find the others. 

"Finally!" Wolf exclaimed when he saw them, and Virginia shushed him. 

"Do you want to get us caught?" She hissed, to which he ducked his head in apology. 

"Let's get moving." Jack said softly, lifting the pack that Wolf had brought out for him. "We should head straight out for the trees, and cut along the trail so they won't catch us once they've realized we're gone." He started to walk, and Wendell was right behind him with the others. 

Wendell had rarely been in his capitol city, and had never been there at night before like he was now, and it was a strange sight. The roads were entirely empty but for a few stray people here and there in the shadows, and they strayed away from the small group- obviously, there was strength in numbers. 

Soon enough, they made it out through a side gate- that Jack somehow had acquired a key for- and they were free. The trees loomed dark a few yards out, and to Wendell they looked incredibly ominous. 

By the time that the sun rose, the little group was deep in the woods. The spires and towers of the palace were visible through the trees, but they seemed distant enough to be mountains. The light came through the trees and cast a soft glow on them all, and Wendell was reminded of what it had been like to be a dog- everything had been exciting and fascinating and new. The scent of the dew on the leaves and the brambles that clung to their ankles was intoxicating, and Wendell suddenly felt more energized than he had felt in months. He had a plan, he was going to save his kingdom his way. 

He turned to see Jack looking at him, and he gave him a smile at the brightness in the other man's eyes- he seemed to be just as excited and energized as he was. This was going to be an adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we're adventuring! Yay!  
> Thoughts? Comments? hmu at panic-atthe-sisko on tumblr!


	10. Camp

It was a lot easier to travel as a dog, Wendell had decided. He had never missed having four legs and a warm coat before, but now that they had been travelling for a day, he was starting to think of that time a little more fondly. Despite the summery warmth of the area of the kingdom nearest the castle, it was getting steadily more cold and stormy as they traveled northwards.

Wendell had been quiet as they walked, thankful for the warm socks and clothing that Jack had given him; he had fussed about keeping it clean for the first few hours before Jack had told him mildly that it was a gift, and that he was not expecting it back- in one piece or otherwise. 

It was nearing nightfall, and everyone was visibly tired. They had been avoiding patrols in search of the missing king all day long, which was a more difficult task than Wendell had previously assumed. Wolf was preoccupied fussing over Virginia, but Jack seemed to have the task of keeping an eye and an ear out for pursuers well in hand.

"We need to stop." Wolf had an arm around Virginia, who looked as tired as any of them, but was also looking at Wolf like she was ready to smack him. "Virginia needs to be careful, with the cub and everything, and-"

"Will you please calm down," the woman in question snapped, pulling away and crossing her arms. "I told you that I would let you know if I got too tired."

"But you aren't used to all this, my love," he continued to fuss. 

"And the argument could be made that you're out of practice. So if that's what you choose to go with-"

"Argument?" Wolf interjected, his eyes slightly wide. Jack looked at Wendell and subtly started walking a little ways ahead of the two. "Is this an argument?" 

She sighed heavily. "What I'm trying to say, is that I don't want you hovering on me. You pulled me out here on this harebrained scheme, and we're sticking with Wendell until it's through. People need him."

~

They made camp about an hour later, once they had all agreed that they were deep enough in the woods that it would be nearly impossible to be found.

"Unless they have wolves with them, of course." Wolf piped up from his place by the fire where he had been cooking. "A wolf could track us pretty easily."

"I thought of that, worry not." Jack grinned slyly. 

"What did you do, exactly?" Wendell sounded suspicious. 

"Nothing illegal, Highness- I just convinced them that, as you were being accompanied by a few heroes of the realm, this mission probably was very important. A few of them have agreed to gum up the works for us, for a few days at least, which is plenty of time for us to get well out of danger." 

Wendell looked at Jack curiously at his explanation. It was a decent plan, but it seemed awfully reliant on knowing just how people would react. "Let's hope you know the men well, then."

~

Wolf and Jack decided to take turns keeping eyes and ears out that night. It was easily decided, as Wolf hated to sleep in anyway and was willing to let the other man wake him. He and Virginia curled up in some blankets by the fire and were soon asleep. 

Wendell watched them, and the fire, for a long time until Jack broke the silence. 

"Shouldn't you be getting to bed, Wendell?" The wolf's dark eyes were fixed on the young king. 

"I think that 'bed' is an awfully generous word, don't you?"

"Well then, shouldn't you be getting to blanket? It's awfully late," Jack chuckled and threw a handful of leaves in the fire. They smelled sweet, and the crackling noise was oddly satisfying. 

"Not just yet. This is all very exciting, you know, for me," Wendell mused. 

"How so?"

"Well, this is the first time I've been on such an adventure of my own free will, and as myself. The last time I was being chased by what seemed like dozens of people, and honestly just spent the whole time scared and confused."

"Well, it sounds like you needed this, then," Jack said decisively and patted Wendell's hand. "We'll get you back to your palace a hero, and a real one at that. Go to sleep."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being patient, babes! We are getting there.


	11. Discussions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Various discussions early in the morning.

The dawn came quietly and without much fanfare. Wolf had taken over Jack's watch a few hours previously, and so was able to see it from his comfortable spot between the gently burning remains of the fire and Virginia's sleeping form. He was so excited to tell her all about the colors of the sky when she woke up; he barely was able to resist waking her to see it, honestly.

He had forgotten just how much he missed being out in the middle of nowhere. The trees were as much his home as anywhere else was, and he had not been able to spend much time out in places like this since he had left the Kingdoms to be with Virginia. He did not regret the decision- of course not, how could he regret any time spent with his beautiful beloved?- but he did miss it. He wished that he could take Virginia out into the forests more often; they spent time in Central Park regularly, of course, but it wasn't the same. 

Wolf turned to her and smiled when she woke up some time later, scooting over to sit by her while her stupendous blue eyes blinked open. He fussed some hair out of her face and she made a small noise of amusement. 

"Morning, Wolf," She whispered, glancing over to the sleeping forms of the King and his guard. Jack had fallen asleep sitting up against an ancient pine tree, and one of his legs and ended up draped over Wendell's knees. Neither seemed to mind the arrangement. 

"Morning, my dearest darling!" Wolf chirped, as always much too eager for how early it was in the day. "Did you sleep okay? How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Wolf." She sat up and stretched, yawning with a small groan. "Or as fine as I can be after spending the night on the ground. What do we have to eat?"

As Wolf and Virginia started to get breakfast sorted out, Wendell woke up as well. Once through with his initial adventure, he had lost his taste for sleeping in until noon, and was now up at a perfectly reasonable time in the mornings. There was always so much to do at the palace; some mornings he would wake up to a to-do list several pages long. He suspected that most of these duties were merely busywork to keep him out of the hair of his advisers and council, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. 

This was entirely different, though. He woke up to a light weight around his knees and sat up quickly, sure that he had been captured or something in the night... only to find Jack. Wendell looked at the other man curiously; he had never seen Jack like this, without his carefully calculating eyes watching out for any danger or opportunity, without his expressive face showing off his thoughts exactly, or his foot tapping with nervous energy. He looked peaceful, for the first time that Wendell could remember having seen him. 

Apparently, having a curious and bemused king in disguise stare at him was enough to wake the wolf up, and Jack's dark eyes blinked open as he woke all at once. He blinked once, before raising his eyebrow at Wendell in amusement and pulling his foot back to himself. 

"Been awake long, Majesty?" Wendell was impressed by the way he managed to go from completely unconscious to fully awake in the space of a blink, when he himself was still trying to remember just where he was.

"No," Wendell yawned, sitting up finally and stretching. "Just a minute, really."

There was a beat where Wendell considered continuing ahead to speak his thoughts, before he finally decided that that was exactly what Jack would have wanted him to do. "Thank you for so valiantly guarding my knee. If you are angling for a knighthood, you're going the right way about it." 

Jack laughed brightly at that, clearly surprised by the king's sudden teasing. Wendell absently wondered of himself if he was someone who flirted now, or if that was just being in the woods and away from the palace like this overnight. He also wondered just what he could do to make Jack laugh like that again.

Jack stood and gave Wendell a teasing little bow. "I'm glad to hear that all my hard work is being noticed." 

Wendell watched him move over to where Wolf was trying to poke the fire back into wakefulness. They talked easily about the work, and Jack took over while Wolf moved over to start preparing the food.

Virginia came over and sat beside Wendell with a small smile. "Hey, Prince," she teased, and he smiled in response. 

"Good morning," he replied, continuing to watch the others work. "How far do you think we can go today?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Jack and Wolf talked last night and made plans about evading capture and all that." She continued to watch her fiance work for a few long minutes. "It's strange," she finally said, just as Wendell was sure that she was going to stay silent. "Seeing him out here like this after New York."

"Are things so different in your world?"

"Very. He doesn't have to worry about surviving the same way that he does here... it's strange how quickly he picked that up again." She shivered and leaned her head against Wendell's shoulder. "Anyway. How are you really? Why haven't you come to visit us yet?" 

He shrugged. She had offered to have him over every time that they had been in the Kingdoms since their initial journey.

"Honestly? I worry what my council would do in my absence." He sighed, and put his hand on Virginia's smaller one. He had never had a sister, but he thought absently that Virginia would have been a wonderful one. "You heard what they're like, always barging ahead and talking over me. I feel useless as a king, Virginia, and I don't know what to do." 

She clasped his hand in both of hers. "Do you think that an adventure like this will help?"

"Jack certainly thinks so."

She gave him a small smile in response. "Oh, that's what Jack thinks? You've never mentioned Jack before, is it serious?"

He sat up with a start and his hand instinctively went to his heart in an all too real image of royal affront. 

"What... Virginia, the nerve," he exclaimed as she snickered lightly.

"Come on, Wendell, it's soo obvious that you two-"

"Shush," he hissed, ducking his head. 

"Are you saying-" she looked concerned.

"It just isn't... it just isn't a very good idea, Virginia," he said softly, looking down at his hands. "I'm the king, and while I may have... attractions, I can't just be with whoever I choose. There are certain expectations that people have of me..."

"And is it so important that you meet them?" She asked. Color was coming to her cheeks at the thought.

"Well, if I don't the other Kingdoms-"

"You deserve to be happy, Wendell." She said simply.

"I'm the King, Virginia, you wouldn't understand..."

"Enlighten me, then, won't you?" She crossed her arms tightly over her chest. Wendell sighed in exasperation.

"Look, not everyone can have a happily ever after in the way that you seem to think-" he started patiently before she exclaimed in interruption.

"But why not?! You are always complaining about your advisors and your office and you won't even try to-"

Wendell stood sharply. Jack and Wolf were watching worriedly now from their spot by the fire. Wendell turned, saw them listening, and stalked off into the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope to post more regularly from here on, wish me luck!


	12. Poor Wendell

Virginia sighed and stood, her eyes following Wendell as he stalked through the underbrush. She moved over to stand by Wolf, and he put his arm supportively around her shoulders.

"Was I too harsh? He seems so... so sad, the last few times we've seen him," she asked worriedly. 

Wolf huffed a soft laugh. "Virginia, it was only a few months ago that you were the frustratingly stubborn one here, or have you forgotten?" He teased, kissing the side of her head. He was not terribly concerned about Wendell. He firmly believed that things would work out, if it was true love. And if it was not true love, well, then it didn't matter.

Jack shook his head. "He's not just being stubborn, he's been very... edgy, about his place on the throne. He feels like he hasn't proven himself, and like nobody has any faith in him as the king." His dark eyes were fixed on the woods where Wendell had disappeared. He did not want the king getting too far from camp, but he seemed to be just walking in a circle around their clearing just out of sight as he cooled off. 

"But he's the king! I mean, can't he just... do what he wants?" Wolf piped up. 

"No really, not right now. His council is being a massive pain right now- I've been on guard duty in a few of the meetings, and it's kind of painful to watch. They're all so used to dealing with things without him, they can't seem to let him help now that he actually wants to. He's matured quite a bit in the last few months."

Wolf parted from Virginia silently and went back to making breakfast. After a few minutes of contemplative silence, he passed Jack a pair of sandwiches wrapped in paper and gestured out towards where he could hear Wendell pouting. Jack nodded, and headed out silently. 

He found the king with his eyes closed, his forehead pressed firmly against the textured bark of an oak tree. He apparently did not hear Jack coming up behind him, because he started when the wolf touched his shoulder gently. 

"I brought you breakfast, Highness," he said simply, offering one of the sandwiches. Wendell took it without comment, and Jack sat on a nearby log to start on his own. He seemed to be in no hurry to talk, which relieved Wendell greatly. 

They ate in silence for a while, neither of them really looking at each other and just enjoying the silence of the woods. 

"Do you like me?" Wendell finally asked. 

Jack raised an eyebrow and drank from his waterbottle, and offered it to Wendell. 

"Yes? Why do you ask?" He tilted his head slightly and watched the king while he gathered his thoughts. Wendell took a drink as well, absolutely stalling.

"I mean... Well I mean as a person. I feel like such a fool anymore, since I've become king, and I can't imagine..." He sighed and stopped talking, having quickly run out of words.

"You aren't sleeping well, are you?" Jack asked. 

"What? No, I mean... well not particularly. How did you know?" Wendell asked, confused.

"I don't know you well, but being in the palace guard, I've been keeping an eye on you. You're up late, you get up early, and you ask for cold water first thing. Which means you're worried about looking tired, which means you are tired." Wendell was somehow both impressed and alarmed at that. Jack shrugged when he recognized the king's puzzled look. "I've always been attentive. Something else I've noticed is that you used to sleep just fine."

"Oh now you're just guessing," Wendell scoffed and rolled his eyes. Jack grinned in reply. 

"I never guess. I told you that my mother used to work in the palace, remember?"

"That was how you knew about the tunnels..."

"Correct. She was a nice human lady, she was working there for years before dad showed up and she had me. It was pretty easy to hide me when I was a pup, but then..." He shrugged. "She couldn't keep me and her job, and she had another kid already that she was trying to support, and I was a teenager and could handle things decently, so I went to stay with dad. What I'm saying, Highness, is that I was there when you were younger, and you always slept just fine."

"What are you saying, Jack?" Wendell asked softly. It was strange to him to hear that his friend had been there so long, and that he had never noticed him... of course, he had never noticed the servants and their children before his adventure.

"I'm saying that you've matured, Wendell. I'm saying that back when you were young, and back before you got turned into a dog and all that, you didn't care. You care now, enough that it keeps you up at night. You care enough that your advisers are making you angry because you can't help, and..." He smirked. "You care enough that, while you are very clearly into me, you aren't doing anything about it. You're putting your Kingdom before yourself. So yes, I like you."

Wendell was pretty sure that his cheeks could not get any more red than they were now. He looked down at the water and took another sip into the silence. "You give me an awful lot of credit."

Jack laughed. "I do, but you deserve it. What Virginia said to you was true, you do deserve to be happy, but you were right as well. You're the king, and lately you've been doing the best you can to be deserving of the title. You need to figure out for yourself how you can do both."

"Do you think that's even possible?" Wendell asked helplessly. Jack shrugged and stood.

"Who knows. I think so, but it's on you to figure out what life you can live, and keep your soul. I'm going to head back to help the others get camp packed up, and then we really need to get going." He patted Wendell's shoulder affectionately, and was gone. 

Wendell nodded, but stayed put. Jack always spoke so plainly, he made it all seem so simple... until he walked away, and Wendell was floundering again. He sighed and rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands. Jack believed in him. So did Virginia, and, for better or worse, Wolf. 

Wendell stood. He could figure it out, if he had their help, and this trip would be the perfect time to do it. He smiled and neatened his hair slightly. It was pretty wonderful, having friends.

He would head back to camp, he decided, but first needed to relieve himself. He headed away from the camp a little ways, did what needed doing, and started back. He stopped at a noise behind himself. He turned, opening his mouth to call for Jack, but did not get the chance. There was a swift blow to the back of his head, and everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! From here on for a while I plan to update on Tuesdays, just a heads up! Let's see if I can do it XD


End file.
